Car-coupling instrument



\ G. SBARL.

Car-Coupling Instrument.

No. 226,250. Patented April 6, 1880 "Witnesses; Inventor:

ERS. PHOTO umo F UNTTED STATES PATENT Urrrca GIDEON SEARL, 0F F RANKLINVILLE, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING INSTRUMENT.

SFECIFIO'ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,250, dated April 6, 1880,

Application filed February 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIDEON SEARL, of Franklinville, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Gar Coupling and Uncoupling Instrument; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure 1 being a top view of the instrument; Fig. 2, a view of the instrument at right angles to the view in Fig. 1.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both figures.

The purpose of this invention is to produce an instrument whereby cars can be coupled and uncoupled without the person stepping between them or exposing any part of his body to danger in so doing.

The construction of the instrument is substantially as follows: A bar, A, of wood, iron, or other suitable material, serves as the handle, stock, or body of the instrument. It may be of the form shown, or any other that may be convenient. To one end of this bar a pair of spring jaws or plates, B B, is secured, one on one side and the other on the other side, as shown, or as most convenient. These spring-platesfare properly secured to the bar A by bolts or rivets a (t passing through all, as shown. The plates are far enough apart to admit freely the body of a car-coupling pin, but not the head thereof, and their extremities approach 5 somewhat nearer each other than the middle or main part, so that in slipping them ofi' from the coupling-pin they have to be sprungapart'somewhat. They will thus securely hold the coupling-pin dropped between them when they are in the position shown in (Fig. l; and when the pin is thus held the attendant can reach it in over the draw-head of the car by the instrument without exposing himself to being jammed between the cars coming together. When the coupling-pin is inserted in its place the instrument is readily disengaged from it by simply drawing away, thus slipping the springplates off from around the coupling-pin. The instrument is, of course, to be long enough to reach in between the cars, as desired.

At the other end of the instrument is another pair of spring jaws or plates, 0 O, attached to the bar A in the same way as the plates B B, and by similar bolts or rivets b b, or in an equivalent manner. ever, secured to the alternate sides of the bar A, so as to be in positions at right angles to the positions of the jaws B B. These springplates are for seizing the coupling-link and raising its free end to a proper position to enter the draw-head of the adjacent car an d guidin g the link therein. For this purpose the two" plates must be far enough apart to receive the couplinglink edgewise between them, and

their extremities turn outward, somewhat as the coupling-pin can first be inserted between 7 5 the jaws B B, and while it is there the other end of the instrument be used to direct the couplinglink into place, and then immediately the pin can be inserted in the draw-head.

Thus, with the instrument, the coupling can be effected very expeditiously as well as safely.

By an improved form given to the springplates 0 G, I use also this end of the instrument for uncoupling cars while the attendant stands on the ground at the side of the cars.

For this purpose the plates are nearly pointed or wedge-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they can be pushed under the head of the coupling-pin, and thereby can raise the same up,

and the two plates embrace the body thereof. 0

Then the coupling-pin can be lifted out of the draw-head of the car and deposited where desired. Either pair of the spring-plates may be shaped for this purpose; but I prefer to use the link-jaws O 0, since thejaws B B hold 5 a coupling-pin a little better when their edges are not sloped or inclined.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A car-coupling instrument composed of They are, how- 55 As the coupling-link occupies a nearly 70 a bar or handle, A, two springplates or jaws, B B, on one end, and two spring jaws or plates, 0 G, on the other end thereof, one pair of springplates being arranged on the bar or handle at right angles to the other pair, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. A ear-couplinginstrument composed of a bar or handle, A, and one or more pairs of 10 s rin lates or 'aws B B and O O as specip a J a 1 1 l l I fied, one pair of plates, 0 0, having a pointed or wedgeacting form, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affiX my signature in presence of 15 two witnesses.

GIDEON SEARL.

Witnesses CHARLES T. LoWDEN, CHAS. D. VAN AERNAM. 

